Parnevik Is in the Red; Woods Not Far Behind

Despite a windy, wild start to the new season, two things hardly ever change. Jesper Parnevik will always hear a comment or two about his outrageous clothes, and Tiger Woods won’t be too far away from the lead.

Parnevik made a bogey and two double bogeys on the back nine Thursday, caught grief for his bright red pants and still managed a four-under-par 69 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Mercedes Championship.

“It was a fun day, interesting,” Parnevik said.

It was typical of Woods, who won the last four PGA Tour events in 1999. Despite missing an easy birdie opportunity on the downwind, par-five 18th, Woods was only two shots back.

“You’re never surprised to see his name on the board now,” said Duffy Waldorf, who had only one bogey in a round of 70 to trail Parnevik by a shot. “He’s playing at a level that not many have reached out here.”

Woods, trying to become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win five straight tournaments, was joined at two-under 71 by Ernie Els, the only player to avoid a bogey Thursday.

Defending champion David Duval birdied the last two holes and was among those at 72.

The typical trade winds off the northeast coast of Maui packed some punch with 40 mph gusts.

On a day in which the average score was 75.03 because of the wind and severe grain in the Bermuda greens at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Parnevik birdied six of the first 11 holes to open a four-shot lead.

He followed double bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13 with birdies at Nos. 14 and 15, just in time to chunk a wedge on No. 17 that led to a bogey.

An official on the 18th green announced Parnevik as wearing “the wild red pants.” Parnevik then finished off his round with a birdie after missing an eagle putt of about 100 feet.